Looking After Your Mental Health In Home Isolation

Stay connected –Sharing how we feel and offering support to each other is important. Reach out to people outside of your bubble, family and whānau, friends and workmates. Alongside FaceTime, WhatsApp and Skype, there are a host of new apps available that enable you to video chat and play games with friends all over the world.

Get some sunlight – Keep yourself moving with at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. It’s very easy to binge-watch series after series on Netflix, but you need to get up and about. There are heaps of at-home workouts online, or just dance around the house and clean like never before.

Avoid the news and social media – If you are finding everything a bit overwhelming and distressing, stay away from it, it will only heighten your anxiety. Pick and choose what you tune into, try and keep it positive.

Keep regular sleep routines – With no commitments, you can easily slip into bad habits of late nights and long sleep-ins. Try keeping a routine so your body knows what time it is.

Eat healthy foods – Use your new-found time to plan, prep and discover new healthy eating options.

Learn something new – Practise a new skill, learn an instrument. Do the thing you always wanted to do but didn’t have time. You really have no excuse.

Set yourself goals – Have a purpose and use this rare opportunity to do all those things you never have time to do.

Practise meditation – Mindfulness may be a buzz trend, but the benefits of taking time out from your thoughts can do wonders for you and your mental health. Especially during a time like this.

Remember we are all in this together. You are not alone